Protective package for the shipment of rods



Feb. 5, 1957 R. w. GRoovER PROTECTIVE PACKAGE FOR THE SHIPMENT OF RODS Filed April 26, 1954 INVENTOR /Poeijl M. Groove ATTORNEY United States Patent O PROTECTIVE PACKAGE FOR THE SHIPlVIENT F RODS Robert WilsonV Groover, Lebanon, Pa., assignor to Bethlehem'Steel Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 26, 1954, Serial No. 425,516

4 Claims. (Cl. 2136-65) This invention relates to a package designed for the protective shipping of rods, and more particularly to 'a package for protecting the ends of sucker rods during shipment. Sucker rods, when in condition to be shipped from their point of manufacture to their point of use in the oil elds, are conventionally long round rods having a diameter ranging from about inch'to 1 inch, and a length of about 25 feet. The rods are provided, at one end, with an externally screw-threaded pin, and at the opposite end with an internally screw-threaded socket which is adapted to receive the pin on an adjacent rod. The pin ends are usually capped to protect the thread, while the socket ends may be plugged for the same purpose.

Heretofore, sucker rods have been shipped in packages in which the rods are bound in lengthwise relationship, with the rod ends exposed. Insome cases the ends of a rod are exposed for a distance of as much as twelve to eighteen inches. Sucker rods are frequently shipped by either rail or Steamship, or both, for distances of thousands of miles. During shipment, or handling, rods may be subjected to accidental loads, or stresses. Because of its very nature, in which a sucker rod has a capped end and a coupling, or socket, end, the coupling diameter being approximately twice the rod diameter, one rod cannot be tightly packaged against another. Consequently, if the unprotected ends of a rod package are subjected to a hard blow or heavy weight, there is every likelihood that some of the rod ends will be bent. As sucker rods, when used in the eld, are connected one to another for lengths often exceeding 5000 feet, a rod which is only slightly bent is rendered useless for its intended purpose, for such a rod will break under the tremendous weight and the fatigue stresses imposed upon it. A bent rod which is subsequently straightened prior to use is readily susceptible to fracture, and the repair of a broken string of sticker rods is a time-consuming and costly operation.

With the foregoing considerations in mind it is the principal object of this invention to form a unitary package of rods in which the rods are tightly held together and in which the rod ends are protected from accidental stresses.

Another object is to produce a unitary package of rods in which the rod-ends are not only protected, but also in which the rod ends can be satisfactorily nested to form a compact package which will conserve shipping space.

A typical example of the application of my invention to the packaging of rods is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, with partial cut-away portion, of a completely packaged unitary bundle of rods;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partially in section, of the bundle shown in Fig. 1;

Fig 3 is an end elevation of the protective structure which is secured around the end of a unitary bundle;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the protective structure shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a top plan View ol the protective structure shown in Fig. 3;

ICE

Fig. 6 is a hook for attaching the bundle to hoisting means.

Referring to the reference numerals used in the drawings, the number 10 indicates a bundle of sucker rods, each rod 1 having a coupling 2 at one end and a capped pin 3 at the opposite end. The rods are held in place by a plurality of support blocks 4 across the top of the bundle, each of these blocks in turn being bolted to a similar block 5 disposed across the bottom of the bundle.

'The blocks are held together by means of bolts 6. Blocks 4 and 5 are 3" by 4" timbers. Near each end of the bundle is another set of similar sized blocks, or timbers, 7 and 8. These blocks, one across the top of the bundle and one across the bottom of the bundle, are bolted tightly together as in the case of blocks 4 and 5. Blocks 7 and 8 are placed a short distance back of the upset formed by either the coupling 2 or pin 3, in order to bear firmly on the rod proper. As will be noted in Fig. l, in a row of rods the ends of adjacent rods are placed in olset relationv to one another. In order that rods 1 of adjacent horizontal rows may be properly spaced, spacer bars 9 are placed between each horizontal row at a plurality of points throughout the bundle, and transversely of the bundle. As shown in the drawings, the spacer bars are held in interlocking relationship with the bolts holding blocks 4 and 5, or 7 and 8. f

The rods are arranged preferably in symmetrical horizontal rows and columns, different arrangements being made as to the number of rows or columns depending on the diameter of the rods in the package. Normally, in the larger rod sizes, the number of rows and/ or columns is reduced to keep the weight of one bundle within practical handling limits. Figs. l and 2 depict a package applicable to the containment of 3A diameter rods.

A boxlike structure, shown most clearly in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, tits snugly over the ends of the rods, and is attached to blocks 7 and 8 by straps 16.

Said structure includes the rectangular end panel ot' Fig. 3 comprising members 13 and 14; side panels of Figs. 2 and 4, comprising, in the one case, members 11, and in the other, members 12; a top panel, Fig. 5, comprising members 15, and a similar bottom panel, not shown.

Members 13 and 14 are 2 x 4 timbers, and members 15 are 2 x 8" timbers, while members 11 and 12 are one inch boards.

Heavy steel strapping 16 is fastened securely around each of blocks .7 and 8 and the end panel.

lt should be noted that the complete protective structure 18' is practically identical with protective structure 19, except that 19 may be made shorter because of the dilference in construction ofthe rod-ends enclosed therein.

Blocks 7 and 8 may be placed at any reasonable distance from the end of the bundle so as to give proper support. It is preferable to place the blocks as near to the upset of the rods as possible, for in this manner, the length of the box-like structure is kept to a minimum, and consequently produces the strongest and most resistant structure.

Hooks 17 are attached to intermediate blocks so that a bundle of rods may be transferred to or from car or ship with a minimum of handling. When a hook, such as that shown in the drawing, is used, the rods in the top row in the immediate vicinity of the hook are eliminated from the package, so that transverse members 4 will tit snugly against the remaining rods in the top row.

I claim:

1. A package comprising a bundle of sucker rods having caps at one end and couplings at the other end in which the rods are arranged in symmetrical horizontal rows and columns in spaced relation, with transverse spacer bars between each row and a protective structure avenant for the ends of the rods comprising a pair of wooden block transverse members spaced from each end of the bundle, one of said members being on top of the bundle and the other of said members being on the bottom of the bundle, bolts clamping said members rmly against the outer rows of said rods, said spacer bars being aligned in interlocking relation between said bolts a box-like wooden framework enclosing the ends ofthe rods at one end of the bundle, and means securing said framework to said transverse members.

2. A package comprising a bundle of sucker rods havings caps at one end and couplings at the other end in which the rods are arranged in symmetrical horizontal rows and columns in spaced relation, the ends of adjacent rods of the same row being in `offset relation, with transverse spacer bars between each row to provide sufficient clearance for the proper nesting of the coupling ends and the cap ends of the rods, and a protective structure for the ends of the rods comprising a pair of wooden block transverse members spaced from each end of the bundle, one of said members being on top of the bundle and the other of said members being on the bottom of the bundle, bolts clamping said members rmly against the outer rows of said rods, said spacer bars being aligned in `interlocking relation between said bolts, a box-like wooden framework enclosing the ends of the rods at one end of the bundle, and means securing said framework to said transverse members.

3. A package comprising a bundle of sucker rods hav-- ing caps at one end and couplings at the other end in which the rods are arranged in symmetrical horizontal rows and columns in spaced relation, and a protective structure for the ends of the rods comprising a pair of transverse members spaced from each end of the bundle, one of said members being on top of the bundle and the other of said members being on the bottom of the bundle,

bolts clamping said members firmly against the outer rows of said rods, with transverse spacer bars between each row to provide sufficient clearance for the proper nesting of the coupling ends and the cap ends of the rods and to clamp the rods in horizontally spaced relation, said spacer bars being aligned in interlocking relation between said bolts, a box-like framework enclosing the ends of the rods at each end of the bundle, and means 'securing said framework to said transverse members.

4. A package comprising a bundle -of sucker rods in which the rods are arranged in symmetrical horizontal rows and columns in spaced relation, with transverse spacer bars between each row and a protective structure for the ends of the rods comprising a pair of transverse members spaced from each end of the bundle, one of said members being on top of the bundle and the other of said members being on the bottomof the bundle, bolts clamping said members rmly against the outer rows of said rods, said spacer bars being aligned in interlocking relation between bolts, a box-like framework enclosing ends of the rods at one end of the bundle, `and means securing said framework .to said transverse members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 745,015 Howe NOV. 24, 1903 1,212,758 Freeze Ian. 16, 1917 1,624,949 Hintz Apr. 19, 19,27 1,876,758 Romine Sept. 13, 1932 2,328,356 Ott Aug. 31, 1943 2,620,921 Schaller Dec. 9, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 519,119 Germany Feb. 24, 1931 27,537 Australia June 11, 1931 

